Falk Poenisch, PhD DABR
Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology
About Dr. Poenisch
I have a strong background in research and clinical applications of radiation therapy using photons, carbon, and protons. During my dissertation period, my research concentrated on quality assurance of the delivery of carbon ion therapy at GSI using in-beam PET. This project required both experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations. As a postdoctoral fellow at MD Anderson, I used Monte Carlo simulations to model the treatment head of a flattening filter free linear accelerator. Since 2009, I have developed expertise in proton therapy, first as a proton fellow and now as a faculty member. While I spend most of my time as a clinical physicist, I have also worked on various projects related to proton therapy, including quality assurance and the impact of protons on pacemakers. I am a collaborator on a CPRIT grant related to the development of a new detector system for PET in proton therapy.
a) Pönisch F, Parodi K, Hasch BG, Enghardt W. The modelling of positron emitter production and PET imaging during carbon ion therapy. Phys Med Biol 49(23):5217-5232, 12/2004. PMID: 15656273.
b) Pönisch F, Titt U, Vassiliev ON, Kry SF, Mohan R. Properties of unflattened photon beams shaped by a multileaf collimator. Med Phys 33(6):1738-1746, 6/2006. PMID: 16872081.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Adjunct Member, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2003 | University of Technology, Dresden, DEU, Doctor of Science, Experimental Physics |
| 1997 | University of Technology, Dresden, DEU, Diploma in Physics, Physics |
Board Certifications
| 2010 | American Board of Radiology |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2010 - 2016
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Nantavithya C, Gomez DR, Wei X, Komaki R, Liao Z, Lin SH, Jeter M, Nguyen QN, Li H, Zhang X, Poenisch F, Zhu XR, Balter PA, Feng L, Choi NC, Mohan R, Chang JY. Phase 2 Study of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy and Stereotactic Body Proton Therapy for High-Risk, Medically Inoperable, Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 101(3):558-563, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29680255.
- Zhu XR, Li Y, Mackin D, Li H, Poenisch F, Lee AK, Mahajan A, Frank SJ, Gillin MT, Sahoo N, Zhang X. Towards effective and efficient patient-specific quality assurance for spot scanning proton therapy. Cancers (Basel) 7(2):631-47, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25867000.
- Chang JY, Li H, Zhu XR, Liao Z, Zhao L, Liu A, Li Y, Sahoo N, Poenisch F, Gomez DR, Wu R, Gillin M, Zhang X. Clinical Implementation of Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Thoracic Malignancies. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 90(4):809-818, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25260491.
- Grosshans DR, Zhu XR, Melancon A, Allen PK, Poenisch F, Palmer M, McAleer MF, McGovern SL, Gillin M, DeMonte F, Chang EL, Brown PD, Mahajan A. Spot scanning proton therapy for malignancies of the base of skull: treatment planning, acute toxicities, and preliminary clinical outcomes. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 90(3):540-6, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25304948.
- Shao Y, Sun X, Lou K, Zhu XR, Mirkovic D, Poenisch F, Grosshans D. In-beam PET imaging for on-line adaptive proton therapy: an initial phantom study. Phys Med Biol 59(13):3373-3388, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24874943.
- Zhu XR, Poenisch F, Li H, Zhang X, Sahoo N, Wu RY, Li X, Lee AK, Chang EL, Choi S, Pugh T, Frank SJ, Gillin MT, Mahajan A, Grosshans DR. A single-field integrated boost treatment planning technique for spot scanning proton therapy. Radiat Oncol 9:202, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25212571.
- Mackin D, Li Y, Taylor MB, Kerr M, Holmes C, Sahoo N, Poenisch F, Li H, Lii J, Amos R, Wu R, Suzuki K, Gillin MT, Zhu XR, Zhang X. Improving spot-scanning proton therapy patient specific quality assurance with HPlusQA, a second-check dose calculation engine. Med Phys 40(12):121708, 2013. PMID: 24320494.
- Gomez DR, Poenisch F, Pinnix CC, Sheu T, Chang JY, Memon N, Mohan R, Rozner MA, Dougherty AH. Malfunctions of implantable cardiac devices in patients receiving proton beam therapy: incidence and predictors. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 87(3):570-5, 2013. PMID: 24074931.
- Dhanesar S, Sahoo N, Kerr M, Taylor MB, Summers P, Zhu XR, Poenisch F, Gillin M. Quality assurance of proton beams using a multilayer ionization chamber system. Med Phys 40(9):092102, 2013. PMID: 24007171.
- Zhu XR, Poenisch F, Lii M, Sawakuchi GO, Titt U, Bues M, Song X, Zhang X, Li Y, Ciangaru G, Li H, Taylor MB, Suzuki K, Mohan R, Gillin MT, Sahoo N. Commissioning dose computation models for spot scanning proton beams in water for a commercially available treatment planning system. Med Phys 40(4):041723, 2013. PMID: 23556893.
- Li H, Sahoo N, Poenisch F, Suzuki K, Li Y, Li X, Zhang X, Lee AK, Gillin MT, Zhu XR. Use of treatment log files in spot scanning proton therapy as part of patient-specific quality assurance. Med Phys 40(2):021703, 2013. PMID: 23387726.
- Sawakuchi GO, Zhu XR, Poenisch F, Suzuki K, Ciangaru G, Titt U, Anand A, Mohan R, Gillin MT, and Sahoo N. Experimental characterization of the low-dose envelope of spot scanning proton beams. Phys Med Biol 55:3467-3478, 2013.
- Archambault L, Briere TM, Pönisch F, Beaulieu L, Kuban DA, Lee A, Beddar S. Toward a real-time in vivo dosimetry system using plastic scintillation detectors. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 78(1):280-287, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20231074.
- Sawakuchi GO, Zhu XR, Poenisch F, Suzuki K, Ciangaru G, Titt U, Anand A, Mohan R, Gillin MT, Sahoo N. Experimental characterization of the low-dose envelope of spot scanning proton beams. Phys Med Biol 55(12):3467-78, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20508318.
- Fiedler F, Shakirin G, Skowron J, Braess H, Crespo P, Kunath D, Pawelke J, Pönisch F, Enghardt W. On the effectiveness of ion range determination from in-beam PET data. Phys Med Biol 55(7):1989-1998, 2010. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 20224157.
- Gillin MT, Sahoo N, Bues M, Ciangaru G, Sawakuchi G, Poenisch F, Arjomandy B, Martin C, Titt U, Suzuki K, Smith AR, Zhu XR. Commissioning of the discrete spot scanning proton beam delivery system at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Proton Therapy Center, Houston. Med Phys 37(1):154-63, 2010. PMID: 20175477.
- Pönisch F, Archambault L, Briere TM, Sahoo N, Mohan R, Beddar S, Gillin MT. Liquid scintillator for 2D dosimetry for high-energy photon beams. Med Phys 36(5):1478-1485, 2009. PMID: 19544763.
- Beddar S, Archambault L, Sahoo N, Poenisch F, Chen GT, Gillin MT, Mohan R. Exploration of the potential of liquid scintillators for real-time 3D dosimetry of intensity modulated proton beams. Med Phys 36(5):1736-1743, 2009. PMID: 19544791.
- Gillham C, Zips D, Pönisch F, Evers C, Enghardt W, Abolmaali N, Zöphel K, Appold S, Hölscher T, Steinbach J, Kotzerke J, Herrmann T, Baumann M. Additional PET/CT in week 5-6 of radiotherapy for patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer as a means of dose escalation planning?. Radiother Oncol 88(3):335-, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18514339.
- Pönisch F, Richter C, Just U, Enghardt W. Attenuation correction of four dimensional (4D) PET using phase-correlated 4D-computed tomography. Phys Med Biol 53(13):N259-68, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18562779.
- Fiedler F, Priegnitz M, Jülich R, Pawelke J, Crespo P, Parodi K, Pönisch F, Enghardt W. In-beam PET measurements of biological half-lives of 12C irradiation induced beta+-activity. Acta Oncol 47(6):1077-86, 2008. PMID: 18770062.
- Kry SF, Titt U, Followill D, Pönisch F, Vassiliev ON, White RA, Stovall M, Salehpour M. A Monte Carlo model for out-of-field dose calculation from high-energy photon therapy. Med Phys 34(9):3489-99, 2007. PMID: 17926952.
- Kry SF, Titt U, Pönisch F, Vassiliev ON, Salehpour M, Gillin M, Mohan R. Reduced neutron production through use of a flattening-filter-free accelerator. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 68(4):1260-4, 2007. PMID: 17637397.
- Kry SF, Titt U, Pönisch F, Followill D, Vassiliev ON, White RA, Mohan R, Salehpour M. A Monte Carlo model for calculating out-of-field dose from a varian 6 MV beam. Med Phys 33(11):4405-13, 2006. PMID: 17153419.
- Titt U, Vassiliev ON, Pönisch F, Kry SF, Mohan R. Monte Carlo study of backscatter in a flattening filter free clinical accelerator. Med Phys 33(9):3270-3273, 2006. PMID: 17022221.
- Titt U, Vassiliev ON, Pönisch F, Dong L, Liu H, Mohan R. A flattening filter free photon treatment concept evaluation with Monte Carlo. Med Phys 33(6):1595-1602, 2006. PMID: 16872067.
- Pönisch F, Titt U, Vassiliev ON, Kry SF, Mohan R. Properties of unflattened photon beams shaped by a multileaf collimator. Med Phys 33(6):1738-1746, 2006. PMID: 16872081.
- Vassiliev ON, Titt U, Pönisch F, Kry SF, Mohan R, Gillin MT. Dosimetric properties of photon beams from a flattening filter free clinical accelerator. Phys Med Biol 51(7):1907-1917, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16552113.
- Vassiliev ON, Titt U, Kry SF, Pönisch F, Gillin MT, Mohan R. Monte Carlo study of photon fields from a flattening filter-free clinical accelerator. Med Phys 33(4):820-827, 2006. PMID: 16696457.
- Pönisch F, Titt U, Kry SF, Vassiliev ON, Mohan R. MCNPX simulation of a multileaf collimator. Med Phys 33(2):402-4, 2006. PMID: 16532947.
- Parodi K, Pönisch F, Enghardt W. Experimental study on the feasibility of in-beam PET for accurate monitoring of proton therapy. IEEE Trans. Med. Img 52:778-786, 2005.
- Enghardt W, Parodi K, Crespo P, Fiedler F, Pawelke J, Pönisch F. Dose quantification from in-beam positron emission tomography. Radiother Oncol 2(73 Suppl):S96-8, 2004. PMID: 15971319.
- Pönisch F, Parodi K, Hasch BG, Enghardt W. The modelling of positron emitter production and PET imaging during carbon ion therapy. Phys Med Biol 49(23):5217-5232, 2004. PMID: 15656273.
- Enghardt W, Crespo P, Fiedler F, Hinz R, Parodi K, Pawelke J, Pönisch F. Charged hadron tumour therapy monitoring by means of PET. Nucl. Instr 525:284-288, 2004.
- Pönisch F, Enghardt W, Lauckner K. Attenuation and scatter correction for in-beam positron emission tomography monitoring of tumour irradiations with heavy ions. Phys Med Biol 48(15):2419-36, 2003. PMID: 12953907.
- Enghardt W, Debus J, Haberer T, Hasch BG, Hinz R, Jäkel O, Krämer M, Lauckner K, Pawelke J, and Pönisch F. Positron emission tomography for quality assurance of cancer theapy with light ion beams. Nucl. Phys A654:1047c-1050c, 1999.